Auditing of nursing handover to next shift in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of selected hospitals affiliated with Qazvin University of Medical Sciences

One of the most common data transfer in hospital is nurses’ shift handover which can help to improve patient care plan, safety and facilitate data transfer. Nursing cares based on standards makes the ward handover to next shift more effective and safer. This study was done aimed to determine the conformity rate of nursing cares regarding shift handover in neonatal intensive care units with the standards in selected hospitals affiliated with Qazvin University of Medical Sciences.

In this descriptive study, 381 nursing care related to ward handover to next shift in neonatal intensive care units were observed and assessed with time sampling method. Data were gathered through demographic questionnaire of nurses and hospitalized newborns and checklist with 72 item of standard nursing cares related to shift handover. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics using SPSS software version 20.

Conformity rate of nursing cares related to ward handover to next shift with standards in NICUs, was evaluated 44 percent and quality of nursing cares was moderate.

Results demonstrated moderate level of nursing cares in comparing with standards. It can be due to lack of awareness, inadequate training, careless of health providers, lack of supervision in shift handover process and lack of essential facilities and equipment.